How to Save Money by Going Green

Go Green & Save Money!

Many people continually look for new ways to save money, and a steadily increasing number of people at least consider "going green" — altering their lifestyle and the products they purchase with the long-term health of the environment in mind. The period in which being environmentally responsible and thrifty were mutually exclusive has passed. Consumers daily face choices that represent ways to save dollars as well as their surroundings.

Instructions

1. Conserve energy. In your home or office, set your thermostat a few degrees lower in winter and a few degrees higher in the summer. Install a programmable thermostat. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact florescent bulbs. Unplug appliances and electronics when they are not in use. Wash clothes in cold water. Use a drying rack or clothesline instead of a dryer. Lower the setting on your hot water heater thermostat.

2. Conserve water. Don't buy bottled water. Drink only tap water. Fill reusable bottles with tap water to take with you when you leave home. Take shorter showers. Install a low-flow shower head. Install a faucet aerator on each water faucet. Run a dishwasher only when it is full. Choose drought-tolerant cultivars for garden plants.

3. Use less gasoline. Drive slower. Accelerate gradually and cruise at a lower speed. Walk or bicycle when possible. Telecommute if your employment allows it. Work with your local government to increase the bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.

4. Eating healthier. If you normally include meat, poultry or fish with each meal, plan a few meals without them week. Meat is the most costly, the most environmentally unfriendly and the most unhealthy part of a meal. When you do purchase meat, select locally grown products.

5. Think before you buy. — about how what you buy leaves a long trail of impacts, both environmental and human. Ask where, how and by whom an item was produced, and in what conditions and at what cost.

6. Keep your television, computer, cell phone, and similar devices as long as possible. When you must have new ones, purchase them from dealers that will accept your old ones for recycling. Alternatively, donate the old items to a nonprofit agency that refurbishes and redistributes the items. Keep such items out of landfills at all costs.

References

• Virginia Organizing: More Ways to Donate
• EPA: Where Can I Donate or Recycle My Old Computer and Other Electronic Products?